More than 100 localities in 14 counties hit by floods, over 7,700 people evacuated

Bucharest, July 1 /Agerpres/ - Following the torrential rainfalls and surges in the flows of rivers in Romania in the past 24 hours, 104 localities in 14 counties of Romania were affected and 7,762 people were evacuated according to the latest updated reports of the General Emergency Inspectorate (IGSU). The counties affected are Alba (centre), Bacau (east), Botosani (north-east), Braila (east), Caras-Severin (south-west), Galati (east), Galati (east), Giurgiu (south), Harghita (centre), Ialomita (south), Iasi (east), Neamt (east), Suceava (north-east), Tulcea (east) and Vaslui (east). As many as 3,903 households, outbuildings, yards and gardens as well as 296 housing units and 607 basements were affected in the past 24 hours. At the same time, 12,359 hectares of farmland, 3,622 hectares of pastureland, 24 business and social facilities, one national road, five county roads, ten communal roads, 43 bridges, 407 footbridges got under water and 6,616 fountains were filled with mud. As many as 921 IGSU officers, 131 Romanian General Gendarmerie Inspectorate officers and 19 officers of the Romanian general police Inspectorate, along with 90 employees of the Defence Ministry, voluntary services and local emergency task forces were deployed to contain the damage of the extreme weather conditions.

Romania to shut down 22 non-conforming landfills by July 16 (GNM)

ROMANIAN ECONOMIC HIGHLIGHTS, July 5, 2010. Romania will comply with the norms imposed by the European Union (EU) regarding the shutdown of 22 non-conforming landfills by July 16, 2010, Chief Commissioner with the National Environmental Guard (GNM) Silvian Ionescu said. “We will comply with the EU norms this year regarding the shutdown of the non-conforming landfills. We have warned all mayors of the localities where this process regarding storage suspension should take place. Practically, we must be aware of the fact that suspending storage is different from the effective shutdown. The storage activity will be halted at 22 landfills by July 16, 2010, with their shutdown, covering and ecological cleaning due to be carried out throughout one year, a year and a half, as the case may be,” Ionescu explained. The GNM official said Romania was never under the threat of any infringement procedure from the European Commission (EC) in relation to the landfills, though this rumor was spread at some point. “The rumor about the penalty amounting to 200,000 euros per day that spread at some point was valid only in case the infringement procedure was implemented. And Romania was never faced with this situation. I hope we will not encounter any problems regarding the suspension of the storage by July 16, 2010 as regards the EC norm relating to the 22 landfills,” Silvian Ionescu underscored. According to Ionescu, the closing of the municipal waste storage facilities is in full swing. “The deadlines imposed by the European Union are scheduled for July 16 each year until 2017. By then, we must totally comply with the norms. For the time being we must close 22 non-conforming landfills by July 16, 2010 in order to avoid the issue of another warning letter from Brussels,” GNM official said mid-March this year. According to the latest statistics made public early February by GNM, the Guard’s commissioner carried out 43,283 inspection works in 2009 in the field of environment protection, natural habitats, biodiversity and protected areas and issued 3,097 fines totaling 49.276 million lei. Five municipalities (Bacau – eastern Romania, Bicaz – eastern, Reghin – central and Targu Mures – central) and 240 localities do not comply with the European requirements at present, which is “a success” compared to last fall. As many as 685 rural waste storage facilities and 11 urban facilities were functional in September 2009, which were supposed to be shut down on July 16 due to non-conformity reasons.

Environment Minister: EUR 2 bln worth of investments in waste management till 2013

Agerpres, Romanian Economic Highlights, June 21. Romania will invest about 2 billion euros in waste management and collection programs with European financing so as to solve the matter until 2013 - 2014, Minister of Environment Borbely Laszlo declared at a conference devoted to waste management issues. "We have no problem with PET containers, because on this segment the producers got involved in waste management. We are some 5 to 10 pct behind with glass and electronic waste, but we have European financing for projects worth two billion euros, that will fix the problems until 2013 - 2014," said Borbely. He stressed that by the end of the year, authorities will toughen the selection legislation in the areas still lagging behind, for energy-intensive and glass waste and for batteries as well, the more so as the recycling rate in Romania is 30 percent against 55 percent, the European average. According to the commitments undertaken at accession, Romania pledged to gradually increase the amount of recycled and used again packaging, so as to be able to meet the minimum target set at 60 percent at EU level as of 2013.

Romania's coastal erosion advances by 30 hectares a year

Agerpres, Romanian Economic Highlights, May 17. Experts caution that a Romanian two-metre coastal strip disappears under water every year and the National Institute for the Danube Delta Research is presently working on a special map that will show how much territory Romania has lost in the last years, Romania Libera daily announces. The areas most severely affected by erosion are the ones in the Danube Delta located near the Black Sea shore or on the very shore. “Romania is losing some 30 hectares of its area every year” Romania Libera quotes Tulcea Water Management Department head, Constantin Lefter, as saying. The phenomenon was accelerated in the Communist era as thousands of hectares of meadows were turned into farmland. “The alluvial deposits are kept in facilities, at the Iron Gates in the West of Romania, and the Danube does not have the same transport capacity. Basically, a new delta formation would be impossible. The hydro-technical works are preventing the alluvium to deposit on shores,” explained Lefter. By building dams, over 70,000 hectares of Delta were turned into farmland before 1990, in order to have richer harvests. “The main problems related to the coast erosion can be seen on the Sulina-Sfantu Gheorghe line and in the gulf created by Lake Razelm,” the National Institute for the Danube Delta Research Director Romulus Stiuca told Romania Libera. Romania's Black Sea coast is 244 kilometres-long, representing around 6 percent of the Black Sea perimeter. The Danube Delta’s direct access to the sea stretches on 166 kilometres, from Sulina to Capul Midia. The entire breakwater on the shore line is badly affected by these erosions, claim the experts. “The breakwater on the line shore was built before 1990 to prevent the beach from being washed away. The beaches south of Capul Midia were largely affected and became extremely narrow. If nothing is done they will become even narrower and the waters will advance,” added Stiuca. The Danube Delta Biosphere Reservation Governor, Grigore Baboianu explained in his turn what would be the results of the erosive actions: “Lake Sinoe will be reconnected to the sea as well as to Lake Razelm. Large breaks will emerge in the dams, natural dams formed of the alluvial deposits along the years, separating it from the sea. At Sulina the sea waters are already entering the Danube.” The only place where the alluvial deposits continue to create new territories is the area around the Danube's Chilia branch. Here, one can notice new islands, and the shores of the branch are extending towards Ukraine, Romania’s neighbor located outside the European Union border. “It is still an area with alluvial deposits, and the branch advances towards Ukraine. The Ukrainian Delta area is expanding as the country probably does not have many hydrographic works,” Stiuca said.

Under a draft Government Resolution on the promotion of the use of biofuel and other renewable transport fuel, fuel-marketing oil companies will be required to introduce a minimum 5 pct of volume biofuel in the gas and diesel they supply, starting 2011; this ratio is to rise to 7 percent as of 2013. At present, oil companies are required to ensure 4 pct of volume biofuel content in the supplied gas, as per a decision that came in effect on July 1, 2009. The share of biofuel will thus be increased from January 1, 2011 to 5 percent. The biofuel percentage in diesel was set at 4 percent under a July 2008 decision. According to the draft regulation, a minimum percentage of 5.75 biofuel or renewable marketed fuel must be ensured, calculated on the basis of the energy content of all gas and diesel types used in transport. Thus, the minimum biofuel volume percentage in gas and diesel will rise in 2017 to 9 and to 10 percent in 2018, respectively. According to the draft normative act, biofuel must be produced from raw materials originating in an agricultural area of the European community, obtained through technologies that comply with the good practice requirements on agriculture and with environmental requirements. The introduction of biofuels results in a reduction by at least 35 percent of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per life cycle, compared to conventional fuels. Fuel suppliers are required to report information on the content of gas and diesel to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Business Environment once a year, until January 25 of the following year. Failure to observe the relevant legislation is liable to fines ranging from RON 10,000 to RON 50,000. The biofuel content of marketed gas and diesel was established according to the technical specifications imposed by the European Union, under consideration of social and environmental regulations. Source: Agerpres.

The 2010 Car Scrappage scheme aimed at encouraging the renewal of Romania’s car fleet will be supplemented with 50,000 extra vouchers, the Government decided on April 28, at the Environment Ministry’s request. According to Environment Minister Laszlo Borbely, over 100,000 vouchers have been already sent to the companies discarding old vehicles, and more than 85,000 old cars had been already sent to the dumping grounds. At the moment, 12,600 new cars were bought through the Old Car Scrappage 2010 programme. This means, according to the figures, that if the 160,000 voucher are sold, and it is very likely they will, over 55,000 new cars will be bought through the Old Car 2010 programme, only, compared to last year when 32,000 cars were delivered, Minister Borbely stressed at the beginning of the sitting. He also said that out of the 12,600 new cars, almost 57 percent are made in Romania. Likewise, Minister Borbely pointed out that the Old Car scheme is successful and the ministry he heads has the required money to support it. Source: Agerpres.

The Green Home Programme for individuals will start in May and the grant awarded to them will be maximum 80 percent of the proposed eligible project value, Minister of the Environment and Forestry Laszlo Borbely told a a press conference on March 10. "This year the Green Home Programme will also be destined to individuals the way it was conceived in 2008. The programme will be launched in maximum two months. The grant awarded to individuals amounts up to 80 percent of the value of the projects that were filed and approved," underlined the Minister of the Environment. According to Borbely, the programme includes a portfolio of over 400 companies agreed on and the budget allocated for 2010 will be 610 million lei, of which 300 million lei represent commitment loans and 310 million lei are from the environment fund. According to the official data of the Environment Fund Administration, there are 239 projects under evaluation within the Green Home Programme, for as many as 95 of which contracts amounting to 65 million lei have already been signed. As for the programme destined to the projects regarding the renewable energy sources (wind, sun), Borbely announced that, in the first stage, 70 projects were submitted, of which they approved 19 amounting to 362 million lei. "By March 20 a second session of renewable energy projects will be launched," added Borbely.

Dutch Ambassador Tanya van Gool met with Romania’s Minister of Environment and Forestry, László Borbély

Romania’s Minister of Environment and Forestry László Borbély met Dutch ambassador Tanya van Gool on Friday, February 5^th. The two officials discussed ongoing projects as part of Romanian-Dutch cooperation, future projects, climate change and the outcome of the Copenhagen climate change talks. “I think the European Union member states should cooperate very closely, identify ways for dialogue and make strong preparations for the climate summit to be hosted by Mexico in late 2010,” said Borbély. The Dutch Government is interested in cooperation with Romanian Government for decontamination projects and assessment of risks posed by contaminated sites, an area where the Netherlands has excellent specialists, the Romanian Environmental Ministry reports. The Dutch ambassador suggested carrying out a decontamination pilot project. Water and waste management as well as soil and sub-soil protection were also discussed at the meeting. Van Gool said the Netherlands and Romania have so far had excellent cooperation in the area of water management, which they want to further develop. Borbély assured Van Gool of his support for the initiatives. Ambassador Van Gool also pointed to the Netherlands’ readiness to extend support to Romanian experts in the area of the European Union environmental policies, so that Romania may become a stronger voice at the European environmental protection meetings. “I am convinced that our excellent cooperation will continue and we will be able to identify new opportunities so that Romania may efficiently use the support coming from the Netherlands,” said Borbély. Source: Agerpres.

The Ministry of the Environment and Forestry will invest over 50 million euros in afforestation in 2010 as against an unimportant sum of money in 2009, Minister of the Environment Laszlo Borbély  told the meeting of the Committee on the Environment, Agriculture and Local and Regional Affairs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, which was organized in Bucharest on February 18. He made it clear that Romania must make important investments in the time to come in the environment, more than 5 billion euros are to be invested in the infrastructure that is necessary for treating used waters and by 2018 another 108 ecological rubbish dumps are to be filled up. So far 139 have already been filled up. "As the Ministry has a budget amounting to 420 million euros in 2010, despite the budget restrictions, this year we can allocate another 450 million euros for environment projects from the National Environment Fund and we have where to allocate it. I shall give you one single example: Romania has a third of all geothermal waters in Europe. This is one of the fields where investments could be made," said Borbély . For 2009 Romsilva had planned to afforest about 20,000 hectares, saplings being supplied by the nurseries of the public corporation mentioned before. Romania must afforest about two million hectares of land by 2035 in order to reach the average afforestation level of the European Union. Romania's afforestation level is currently about 27 % although in the field it is not above 15 %. In the European Union the afforestation level is 33 % on average but there are countries, such as Austria and Germany, where it is over 40 % and in the northern countries it is over 80 %. The national forestry fund covers an area of 6.48 million hectares, of which Romsilva currently manages 3.5 million hectares of woods that are state property and over one million hectares of woods that are private property. Source: Agerpres.

Car manufacturers are required to cover the costs of the handover and/or takeover of vehicles put out of service and build new vehicles by considering possibilities of disassembly, reuse and recovery - particularly by recycling – of materials and components, within the technical possibilities, provides the Decision amending and completing Government Decision No. 2406/2004 on the management of out of service vehicles, approved in Tuesday’s government sitting. According to the normative act, Romanian authorities recognize and accept certificates of destruction issued in other EU member states, while the companies conducting activities for the treatment of out of service vehicles are required to hold an environmental authorization. At the same time, the units and enterprises performing treatment operations are encouraged to introduce certified environmental management systems. The amendment and add-on decision proposed by the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MMP) integrates the provisions of Decision 2008/689/EC amending Annex II to Directive 2000/53/EC on end-of-life vehicles, with a view to adjusting to technical progress regarding certain materials and components. According to Environment Minister Laszlo Borbely, the requirements imposed on producers to cover the costs of handover and/or takeover of the vehicles put out of service, but also the idea to conceive and build new vehicles by considering possibilities of disassembly, reuse and recovery “will help reduce the negative environmental impact and increase the usage or recovery degree of the waste flow, resulting in an improvement of the quality of the management of end-of-life vehicles.” Source: Agerpres.

At a landmark anniversary of 115 years of activity, Romania’s second largest water and sewerage operator, SC Apa Canal SA Sibiu – holder of a 250,000-strong client portfolio in the counties of Sibiu and Brasov, announced expansion plans following investments of European funds worth tens of million of euros, company manager Mircea Niculescu said on Jan. 19. "One of the objectives of large-sized water operators is broad regionalization. Apa Canal has grown into a regional operator, supplying water to more than 240,000 residents in the counties of Sibiu and Brasov and plans to continue investments," said Mircea Niculescu. He announced that starting this year, the company intends to upgrade water networks in 13 municipalities in the counties of Sibiu and Brasov, from cohesion funds worth a total of EUR 99 million. Of this amount, 76 million are earmarked for the upgrade of water networks in the county of Sibiu and the other 23 million are assigned for the networks of the Fagaras city (Brasov county). SC Apa Canal SA is one of the first state-owned companies in Sibiu to have accessed EU funds. The company stands under the authority of the City Hall and is the only water and sewerage operator in the Sibiu city. Between 2004 and 2009 it carried out an ISPA project worth over EUR 37 million, of which non-reimbursable European funds were almost 26 million, to which added a EUR 10 million EBRD loan. Under the ISPA project, almost the entire water and sewerage networks in Sibiu city were modernized and water meters were installed at nearly 90% of local homes. All houses in Sibiu are connected to the water supply network. In the first half of 2009, a volume of 11.7 million cubic meters of water was supplied through the 674 km long network. The company operates a 476 km-long sewerage system accessible for almost 240,000 locals of the Sibiu and Brasov counties. SC Apa Canal SA employs 700 people; at the 115-year anniversary, on Jan. 19, of a centralized water distribution system in the city of Sibiu, a monograph dedicated to the company was launched. Source: Agerpres.